Forgiving Our Father Analysis

Mistakes Every Human Makes Generally, fathers are described as the most caring yet dominant male figure in one’s life. However, in both The Kite Runner and “Forgiving Our Father,” these fathers are portrayed in an awful light. In this context, “an awful light” highlights the wretched qualities these fathers have. For majority of his childhood, Amir had not felt much approval growing up. In Afghanistan where fathers are the heads of the family, this lack of approval devastates Amir. In a patriarchal family, the father is the one who shows the son the ropes of the family business or is the one who supports and encourages the son, since the son would one day become the head of the family. Instead, Hassan, who Amir considers inferior because

Both Amir and Lourie have been disappointed before. Baba verbally acknowledges his disappointment of Amir saying, “‘If I hadn’t seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I’d never believe he’s my son’” (Hosseini 23). Simply stated, Amir is not the son Baba had expected with Baba’s own genes. Baba was an athletic, brave, and clever man. Amir is clumsy, cowardly, and naive. The differences of character traits between father and son are significant. “Or he’s the one/ [...] I must pull from the water” (5-6). Here, the disappointment is the son having to save the father. Typically, the father is the one who has to save the son. In this case, however, the son is the one who has to save the father, disappointing the son because the elder has more experience and should know better. Therefore, with that experience, the father should have avoided any problems that need a third party to interfere. The difference is, for The Kite Runner Baba’s disappointment towards who Amir has become and for “Forgiving Our Fathers,” Lourie’s father disappoints his son by setting a bad example. A similarity between Baba and Lourie’s father is making their sons feel disappointed in both the fathers and the sons. Conclusively, disappointment is a huge factor that makes up a lousy